Book Review: We Were Liars – E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

3 out of 5 stars

This young adult novel is about a dysfunctional, yet privileged, family and four friends (the Liars) who spend every summer on their grandfather’s private island. One summer Cadence Sinclair Eastman, the eldest of the Liars, suffers a tragic accident and is unable to remember the events surrounding it. While recovering Cadence reaches out to the Liars (Johnny, Mirren and Gat) but none answer her emails. When Cadence returns to the island and the Liars she begins to remember what happened that fateful summer and the tragic events surrounding her accident.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding this book, not only in the YA community but also in Adult. While I did enjoy the book I was not overly impressed, this could have been because it has been talked up so much. After reading the book I found that I wanted to know more; more about the family dynamics and issues, more about the Liars personal lives and most of all more about the accident. I felt as if only the surface was scratched and that it would have benefited with more depth. There was a lot of lead up and hinting about the accident but the actual revelation was anticlimactic. With all of that being said, there is definitely a place for this book in YA. I believe readers who want a quick mystery will really enjoy this book, the content is interesting but not hard to follow.